Living in Las Vegas, it's not uncommon for me to run across people from all around the world. As this has been happening to me more and more, my thoughts are beginning to turn to learning a new language. In my case, learning a second language is becoming more and more economically important, which is just one of the reasons discussed in the article When do people learn languages?.

At first, the task seems daunting. However, my strong interest in memory techniques is a big help. Also, I've been looking at numerous approaches and software programs. Much of the free software I've been investigating has received better reviews than all but the most expensive language programs. Especially well suited to learning vocabulary are Ebbinghaus, which I've reviewed before, and ProVoc. I mention these programs especially, because both feature online libraries which offer both upload and download capabilities.

Once you have the software, and supporting vocabulary files ready, there is still the matter of learning the language quickly and effectively. Sure, the quizzing can do this, but what about remembering words in the first place? For memory techniques applied to language, first you should get familiar with the basics first. Next, learn how to specifically apply them to memory techniques, as in How to... Learn a Foreign Language (especially interesting is the Town Language Mnemonic). If you prefer a little more detail in how to learn a language quickly and effectively, read How I learned French in One Year. It's the story of a geek who had to learn enough French, in only 10 months, to pass a standardized Canadian test, and how he acheived it.

Now, my particular interest in learning another language was piqued by people who speak other languages visiting Las Vegas. However, if you're learning another language with the intent of visiting another country, then you'll want to learn both the language and the culture.

Last night, The History Channel premiered a new series, titled The States. Instead of a 50-part series delving into the complete history of each American state, as you might expect, it's a 10-part series, with each episode focusing on 5 different states. You learn about the unique culture and interesting facts about each state.

Probably the best thing about the series The States is that once you learn your states and capitals, you can not just show off your knowledge, but make it interesting as well. Would you rather just hear the dry fact that Sacramento is the capital of California, or hear it balanced with neat facts like California's name means absolutely nothing, and was just a made-up name for a place in Spanish mythology?

Yes, it's Werner Miller who has taken two old ideas and turned them into something new. He's combined the classic age cards and the classic magic square into his new creation, the Age Cube!

It's apparently just a promotional cube featuring your information on one side, and different magic squares on each of the five remaining sides. However, it also allows you to perform the classic age card trick. The fact that they're arranged in the form of magic squares helps hide the binary basis of the effect.

Since this trick isn't a particularly deep mystery, it can also be taught with the give-away, for added value. This will most likely be kept much longer than a simple business card.

This isn't to say that the age cards, originally published in 1801 in Recreations in Mathematics by Charles Hutton, can't be improved. In a post from last June, the principle is applied to phone numbers. Owners of Stewart James In Print should look up Mentalscope, in which the principle is applied to letters.

Thanks to Clickcaster's Connections video podcast, you now have a second chance to see the complete series! Since this is a podcast, you can subscribe to it and store it on your computer or portable MP4 player to watch at your convenience. Also, each episode is a single file, instead of the chopped-up episodes posted on YouTube.

As an added bonus, Clickcaster also has every episode of The Day The Universe Changed, too! This was James Burke's second documentary series, released in 1985. While Connections focused on several central inventions, such as the atomic bomb, the telephone, the computer and so on, The Day The Universe Changed focused on the historical moments that whole concepts changed, such as medicine, physics, and finance.

Instead of the traditional linear manner of teaching history, where it's taught that first came the telegraph, then the telephone, then the TV, both of these series teach history in a ping-pong manner. Did you know that, when the Normans first used the stirrup in the Battle of Hastings, it started a chain reaction that lead to modern telecommunications? Does it even seem possible that El Cid and his band made an accidental discovery that led directly to the invention of the modern university degree? Just like today doesn't happen in straight lines, neither did the past. James Burke's unique manner of teaching history helps give it a more real-world feel, and makes it easier to grasp.

If you're not familiar with either of these series, I ask that you at least consider taking a look at the first episode of both. The podcasts are free, and the time invested in learning about history in such a highly involving manner will be time well spent!

Reading the full story, you start feeling amazed at the discovery of this impressive work. As much as I love amazement, it isn't truly warranted in this case. De viribus quantitatis hasn't been missing up until recently, as Martin Kemp points out. Re-read the Guardian story again, and you'll note that the lead contains the true story, that of the first formal translation to English.

Even if this isn't a major academic discovery of a long lost work, the English release of this work should still be a source of anticipation. Seeing the perspective that great 15th and 16th century thinkers bring to magic and math puzzles could definitely be worth the wait.

There have been a few changes being made to the Grey Matters site, so I thought I would keep you posted.

First, the video index is no longer in the rightmost column. Don't worry, it still exists! Under the Video section, you will now see a new link that says Full Video Index. Having the link in one place has already proven to make Grey Matters Videos far more manageable. As before, the Full Video List will constantly be updated as I come across new videos.

Finally, over in the Presentation section, I've added the Made To Stick Blog. This blog is run by Chip and Dan Heath, the author of the book of the same name. The basic idea behind the book and the blog is to show what qualities an idea must possess to become easily memorized and passed on. The authors use Malcom Gladwell's concept of "stickiness" to describe the effectiveness of a given idea.

The Brain Trainer itself looks like a small book. It does bear an unfortunate superficial resemblance to some joke electric shock books. When you open it up, you see basic instructions on the inside cover. On the other side, you see a screen with a 10-digit keypad, as well as buttons marked Menu/Stop, Select, Enter and the power symbol.

There are four activities which can train your brain. In the basic training mode, you're given 100 simple mathematical problems, all involving whole numbers, to solve as quickly as you can. The other three exercises are in the advanced training menu, and include counting verbally from 1 to 120 as fast as you can, focusing on 3 numbers and combining them in various ways, and the memorizing of a 30-digit number. As you exercise, the Brain Trainer keeps track of your progress, which you can view over a 30-day period, or a 1-year period, and both by time taken, and percentage of correct answers. This is a very handy feature for seeing your improvement.

Check out the Binary Sensory Card Marking System. A PDF reveals instructional legerdemain for one original labeling system! This system is so ingenious it will let you idenitfy cards at a great distance or even in total darkness! Even better, magician Anders Moden, best known as the inventor of Healed and Sealed Soda, has released this ingenious system completely for free!